PolySynth is a virtual analog polyphonic Synthesizer with up to three note polyphony and with everything on one screen philosophy. It features two oscillators with various waveforms, different parameters (octave, semitone, fine) as well as a sub-oscillator section with two waveforms and two knobs to tweak (octave, semitone). All this is routed to a mixer section where it’s possible to mix both oscillators and sub-oscillators as you like together. For more a dirty character, a noise generator is also included in the mixer block.

Below, you have a classical ADSR envelope (attack, decay, sustain, release) that work as VCA but also a mod envelope for the Pitch, High-pass filter or the filter mix. The raw oscillator sound is then continued in the filter section where you have two filter types that can be used at the same time. Users can here use a MS-20 style 24db/oct low-pass filter and a high-pass filter at the same time. A good additional feature is that you can change the resonance and the envelope mod for each filter individually. Below the filter, you have also a dedicated filter envelope.

One LFO is boring, two are better. PolySynth features two LFO’s with a several waveforms and which can be routed to several different destinations (high-pass filter, low-pass filter, amp, pitch). Unlike the first LFO, the second LFO’s can be routed to even more interesting destinations (Osc1 pitch, Osc2 pitch, noise, filter mix mod, Osc mix). This gives you for sure a lot of different sound design options. On the bottom, you have also a powerful but easy-to-use arpeggiator, a preset manager and to refine the sound a drive and delay effect.

Design Your Own Microtonal Scales

An interesting and especially for talented players a very creative feature is the microtonal scale editor on the left side. Here you can design your own microtonal scales in few minutes without diving deep in sub-menus.

There Is A Small Lack Of Connections

In the initial version of PolySynth, the developer included support for AudioBus as well as Inter-App-Audio. Unfortunately, there is no support yet for AUv3 or Ableton Link (especially for the Arpeggiator). PolySynth features also MIDI-in for using it with any kind of MIDI keyboard. Since most iOS Synthesizer apps come on the market today as AUv3 enabled app and the feature is becoming increasingly important, the developer is encouraged to deliver it. Also an update with Ableton Link would be great for the future.

Features At A Glance

3x oscillators

2x LFO’s

2x ADSR envelopes

24db/Oct MS20 Lowpass filter and resonant highpass

Delay

Drive

Arpeggiator

Microtonal tuning

3 note polyphony

MIDI note in

AudioBus

Inter-App Audio

PolySynth by DesignByPaul is now available for $4.99 USD from the Apple App Store.